LEWIS, Iowa -- Area beef producers should make plans to attend the Three-State Beef Conference set for Jan. 10, 11 and 12, 2017, with locations in Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska.

LEWIS, Iowa -- Area beef producers should make plans to attend the Three-State Beef Conference set for Jan. 10, 11 and 12, 2017, with locations in Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska. The Three-State Beef Conference (formerly the Four-State Beef Conference) is designed to give beef cattle producers and others in the beef industry in Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska a regular update on current cow-calf and stocker topics. The conference provides a forum of specialists from three of the leading beef cattle land grant universities in the U.S. as well as other industry experts.

Topics and speakers for the 2017 event

“Cows in Need of a Career Change – Culling Strategies to Maximize Returns” -- Patrick Gunn, Iowa State University extension cow-calf specialist

The first session of the conference is the Iowa location in Creston at Southwestern Community College on Tuesday, Jan. 10. Registration is at 5:30 p.m. and the program begins at 6 p.m.

The Missouri session will be held Wednesday, Jan. 11 in Albany at the MU Hundley-Whaley Learning Discovery Center. Registration is at 5:30 p.m. and the program follows at 6 p.m.

The Nebraska session is Thursday, Jan. 12 at the Gage County UNL Extension Center in Beatrice with registration at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting at 6 p.m.

Clark, who is the Iowa contact for the conference, said attendees are strongly encouraged to preregister for any location by Friday, Jan. 6.

“Calling or e-mailing your reservation helps with meal plans and also helps keep costs down,” he explained. “The registration fee is $25 per person and it includes a meal and copy of the conference proceedings.”

The conference brochure has agenda information and a registration form.

AMES, Iowa – The 2017 Crop Advantage Series offers a unique opportunity for farmers and crop advisers to hear current research and crop production information from Iowa State University in their own back yard.

AMES, Iowa – The 2017 Crop Advantage Series offers a unique opportunity for farmers and crop advisers to hear current research and crop production information from Iowa State University in their own back yard.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach specialists will travel to 14 locations around Iowa from Jan. 4-27, providing updated management options and recommendations on current and future crop production issues. Continuing educations credits for Certified Crop Advisers and pesticide safety recertification also will be offered.

“There is no other program in our crop production education year that we are able to bring this many extension specialists together to individual sites across the state like we are able to do for these crop advantage meetings,” said Joel DeJong, field agronomist in northwest Iowa with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

In 2016, a total of 2,094 individuals attended the meetings across the state, representing 97 of the 99 counties in Iowa. When asked the impact of information about managing operation margins for 2016 and beyond, 44 percent of attendees estimated a value of $5-10 per acre and 24 percent estimated a value of $10-20 per acre.

“Our goal is to prepare producers to manage potential issues when they arise, or even before they arise, by sharing the most up-to-date scientific knowledge from Iowa State University,” said DeJong. “Content at the meetings is driven by county needs and production issues.”

Topics on the agenda this year include managing economic challenges, nitrogen dynamics with rye cover crop, new and emerging corn diseases to look for in 2017, pest resistance management plan for soybean aphid, and drainage design for profits and water quality. Other topics will include a crop market outlook and preventing Palmer amaranth from moving onto a farm.

“Palmer amaranth will be a large discussion topic since it’s now been identified in the majority of Iowa counties, along with the risk and return of specific management factors in all inputs of crop production,” said DeJong. “Almost all topics will relate back to the narrow or negative margins many have been seeing in production agriculture.”

The series features two new meeting locations for 2017. Denison will replace the Carroll meeting location, and the Davenport meeting is a joint effort between ISU Extension and Outreach and University of Illinois Extension.

For locations, times, program content and host information, visit www.cropadvantage.org.
Early registration for each location is $50; late registration made less than seven days prior to the meeting or on site is $60. Registration includes lunch, printed proceedings, private pesticide applicator recertification and CCA credits. Online registration and additional information is available at www.cropadvantage.org or from any county extension office. For questions, contact ANR Program Services at 515-294-6429 or anr@iastate.edu, or contact a regional Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agronomist.

2017 CAS Meeting Dates and Locations

Jan. 4 – Sheldon

Jan. 5 – Okoboji

Jan. 6 – Burlington

Jan. 10 – Storm Lake

Jan. 11 – Ames

Jan. 12 – Moravia

Jan. 13 – Mason City

Jan. 17 – Atlantic

Jan. 18 – Fort Dodge

Jan. 19 – Waterloo

Jan. 24 – Le Mars

Jan. 25 – Iowa City

Jan. 26 – Denison (new location for 2017)

Jan. 29 – Davenport (new location for 2017)

Crop Advantage Series is presented by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach with support from the Iowa Soybean Association and from the North Central SARE Program–Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.

[PHOTO] Pictured: (far left) Mark Licht, cropping systems agronomist with Iowa State University, and (far right) Alison Robertson, associate professor and extension specialist in plant pathology and microbiology at Iowa State University. Licht will discuss the 2016 crop year in review from the FACTS scenario analysis at the 2017 Crop Advantage Series meetings.

2017 Iowa Small Farms Conference to be Held in Februaryhttp://www.extension.iastate.edu/warren/node/388212016-12-09T09:53:51-06:002016-12-09T10:00:52-06:00lsternwe

AMES, Iowa – The second annual Iowa Small Farms Conference will be held Feb. 11, 2017 in Ames, Iowa. Dan Perkins of Perkins’ Good Earth Farm will be the featured speaker along with a wide variety of track options and a trade show.

AMES, Iowa – The second annual Iowa Small Farms Conference will be held Feb. 11, 2017 in Ames, Iowa. Dan Perkins of Perkins’ Good Earth Farm will be the featured speaker along with a wide variety of track options and a trade show.

“The Iowa Small Farms Conference will be a great event for people who are excited to learn more about opportunities on their small farm or acreage,” said Christa Hartsook, small farms program coordinator with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “With a wide variety of track options, attendees can get the most out of their day by customizing the conference to fit their special needs and interests.”

The day begins with an address from Perkins, a certified crop adviser and owner and operator of a CSA along with his wife Julie in DeMotte, Ind. Perkins’ farm offers spring and fall CSA shares, as well as wholesale and retail garlic.

Three relevant tracks throughout the day will be led by experts and offer a wide variety of information to attendees. Track options will include establishing hops, raising concurbits, tractors 101, creating windbreaks, wildlife habitat, on-farm wind and solar, niche pork and more.

A trade show at the conference will provide attendees with opportunities to network with companies representing many facets of agriculture.

The Iowa Small Farms Conference will be held in the Scheman Building on Iowa State’s campus from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Early registration is available for $50 until Jan. 31, with registration moving to $75 after that date. For more information and to register, visit www.aep.iastate.edu/smallfarms.

The Madison County and Warren County Extension office is hosting an E.P.I.C. Leadership Retreat on Wednesday, December 28 at 9 a.m. to Thursday, December 29 at 2:30 p.m. at the Jackson Building on the Madison County Fairgrounds.

"E.P.I.C." stands for Explore Potential, Ignite Change which centers on the themes of leadership, goal-setting, self-discovery and exploring what the future may hold.

Featured presenters will include Steve Siemens of The People Builder and Allison Peet, owner of From Within Wellness.

The Madison County and Warren County Extension office is hosting an E.P.I.C. Leadership Retreat on Wednesday, December 28 at 9 a.m. to Thursday, December 29 at 2:30 p.m. at the Jackson Building on the Madison County Fairgrounds.

"E.P.I.C." stands for Explore Potential, Ignite Change which centers on the themes of leadership, goal-setting, self-discovery and exploring what the future may hold.

Featured presenters will include Steve Siemens of The People Builder and Allison Peet, owner of From Within Wellness.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for our local youth to learn more about themselves while also kicking back with their peers " said Jennie Hargrove, Madison County Extension Youth Coordiantor.

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — The new year is a time of new beginnings, but beef feedlot producers know that much of their future is quite uncertain. To help them learn more about what they need to know and the decisions they need to make, these issues — Veterinary Feed Directive, feedlot assessments, market volatility, market prices and industry updates — will be center stage at Feedlot Forum 2017. The event is set for Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Terrace View Event Center in Sioux Center, and opens with a trade show at 8:30 a.m.

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — The new year is a time of new beginnings, but beef feedlot producers know that much of their future is quite uncertain. To help them learn more about what they need to know and the decisions they need to make, these issues — Veterinary Feed Directive, feedlot assessments, market volatility, market prices and industry updates — will be center stage at Feedlot Forum 2017. The event is set for Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Terrace View Event Center in Sioux Center, and opens with a trade show at 8:30 a.m.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach beef program specialist Beth Doran said all the issues to be covered continue to be timely to the industry. Market volatility especially is a concern, with historical extremes from record high prices to fed cattle prices of less than $100/cwt.

“This is why we’re having David Lehman of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group present a CME update,” Doran said. “We know everyone is concerned, but the real question is how to correct the huge volatility in the market. He’ll help us understand the current situation and how to think about the future.”

“This year’s forum also features 26 trade show exhibitors — a record,” Doran said. “They are all very in-tune with and supportive of the topics that will be presented.”

Feedlot Forum 2017 is co-hosted by ISU Extension and Outreach, Iowa Beef Center, and the Sioux, Lyon, Plymouth and Iowa Cattlemen’s Associations. Special highlights include a steak dinner and a $10 beef certificate to each attendee.

Registration is $25 per person, with a special reduced rate of $10 for students. People should register at the ISU Extension and Outreach Sioux County Office by Jan. 12. The event brochure contains the complete agenda, list of sponsors and registration form. For more information, call the ISU Extension and Outreach Sioux County Office at 712-737-4230.